


Promises were made

by The_Lonely_Wolf_Needs_A_Star



Series: I'm here for the hurt/comfort ❤️ [1]
Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Husbands, Love, M/M, Pre-Movie: The Old Guard (2020), The most established relationship of all, a tiny hint of smut, basically they're in love and everything will be fine as long as they have each other, but in the end it's all for comfort afterwards, but really almost nothing, if anyone likes it i might write more, it's probably gonna hurt a little (i hope), listen you're gonna have to trust me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lonely_Wolf_Needs_A_Star/pseuds/The_Lonely_Wolf_Needs_A_Star
Summary: Nicky gets shot and Joe is not okay and neither am I
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: I'm here for the hurt/comfort ❤️ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975141
Comments: 16
Kudos: 181





	Promises were made

**Author's Note:**

> I imagined that while trying to sleep and couldn't get it out of my head so I had to write it. Not beta-ed so there probably are some mistakes here and there, my apologies.

It all happens so quickly, Joe barely registers it at first. As soon as he processes what has just happened, he throws himself at Nicky’s prostrate form laying on the floor. Nicky groans as Joe lifts his bloody shirt off his skin to observe the gunshot.

“Fuck, you’re losing too much blood,” Joe curses.

He looks around, analysing his options. Nicky is going to die, which means they’re gonna lose some precious minutes while he heals and revives. They were supposed to stick to Andy and Booker but it’s too late now and they’re stuck behind. They’ll have to find a way to get through the army of mercenaries in the hanger to get back to Andy and Booker’s side once Nicky’s healed.

Another round of shots coming from his right pushes him into action. He grabs Nicky by the armpits and drags him to safety behind some boxes. He positions himself to protect him while still being able to see his face. It doesn’t take long. Nicky’s hand grabs his ankle and squeezes once before it falls to the ground, inert.

Joe’s entire body is screaming at him to drop his machine gun and grab Nicky’s shoulders so he can shake him awake, but he doesn’t. He never does. He’s never been able to stand the rigidity of Nicky’s body in those interminable moments before he gasps awake again. Instead, he tightens his grip on the gun and forces himself not to reach out for his lover until he wakes.

He monitors their surroundings, shooting the mercenaries coming their way, his eyes coming back intermittently on Nicky’s face. Eventually, he starts running low on bullet and starts actually worrying. It’s taking too long - it always _always _feels too long but this time, it’s not just a feeling.__

__Even as his breathing accelerates, Joe forces himself to remain calm and keep on having their backs. In between two rounds of shots, he feels for Nicky’s shirt and lifts it up. When he finally finds the courage to turn and look, the gun drops from his hands as they start to tremble._ _

__It’s not healing, Nicky’s not healing. For the first time in centuries, Joe succumbs to temptation, reaches for Nicky’s dead body and starts shaking him._ _

__“Destati, Nicky, destati!”_ _

__His voice breaks and tears start running down his cheeks. He wipes them off clumsily, spreading his beloved’s blood all over his face._ _

__The mercenaries and the hangar fade around him as Nicky’s empty eyes become his only focus. He keeps one hand on his wound, hoping in vain to finally feel it close beneath the warm protection of his palm. His other hand cups his cheek, his thumb drawing gentle circles against his skin._ _

__“Nicolo, Nicolo, Nicolo.” His name escapes his trembling lips over and over again as though the sole power of pronouncing it could force life back into this shell of a person._ _

__He remains half lying on top of Nicky’s dead body, protecting him, until he eventually gets shot too. The physical pain he feels is nothing compared to the pain of feeling Nicky’s body getting colder beneath him. He welcomes death, hoping he won’t wake either._ _

__

__He gasps awake, the covers flying off him as he sits up. He looks around in confusion for a brief moment before reality settles in. He’s in their bed. It was only a dream. Nicky is safe. Nicky is still alive._ _

__But even before he turns around, he knows the other side of the bed is cold and empty. He knows Nicky’s not there._ _

__He tries to remember how he got there but the fear constricting his ribcage makes it hard to focus. His hands run in his hair over and over again - he just can’t remember. He can’t remember what this place is. He’s stopped noticing and getting attached to places a long time ago because places don’t matter, only Nicky can give him a home. He needs Nicky, he needs to get out of bed and find Nicky._ _

__But what if Nicky’s nowhere to be found when he steps out of the room? What if Andy and Booker are waiting for him in the other room, ready to tell him that they found him dead on the hangar’s floor and brought him here? What if he has to live for god knows how many more centuries _without Nicky _?___ _

____Joe shakes these thoughts out of his head, allowing himself one more moment of terrifying ignorance before getting up. He stops again briefly at the door, takes a deep breath and opens it._ _ _ _

____As he crosses the threshold and Nicky looks up from the book he’s reading on the couch, Joe falls to his knees and it all comes back to him. They’d had dinner - lobsters, one of Nicky’s favourites - then they had had a quiet evening, lying in front of the open chimney, reading poetry to one another before they’d gone to bed, Joe holding on to Nicky as he always does._ _ _ _

____Nicky drops his book and rushes to him._ _ _ _

____“Joe, habibi, what’s wrong? What's happened?”_ _ _ _

____But Joe can’t answer, he’s in his beloved’s arms once again and they’re crushing him to his chest, warm and comforting. He lets out a few sobs before he finds the strength to straighten up and push back slightly._ _ _ _

____“You promised!” He howls, a fist hammering against Nicky’s chest. “You promised me!”_ _ _ _

____“Promised what, habibi?” Nicky’s arms tighten a bit more around him, bringing him closer. “Talk to me, Yusuf.”_ _ _ _

____“You promised you wouldn’t leave me. We came into this together and we leave together, that was the deal!”_ _ _ _

____Now that the pure terror that had been sitting in his heart has somewhat dissipated, his entire body is trembling with rage._ _ _ _

____“I haven’t left you, I’m right here. Can you feel me?” Nicky whispers. “Can you feel my love for you?”_ _ _ _

____And just like that, the tension stiffening his body seeps out of Joe and he deflates in Nicky’s arms. He meets his eyes and searches his face before resting his forehead against his. Yes, he can feel him, can feel his love, his omnipresent and powerful love. The one thing that transformed what could have been a curse into a beautiful thing._ _ _ _

____At some point they move from the floor to the couch. Joe is laying on top of Nicky, listening to his heartbeat with his ear pressed hard against his chest, his head moving up and down with each breath his lover takes. Nicky’s fingers run gently through his hair - as they always do when they cuddle. He doesn’t ask questions or press Joe for details or explanations for what has just happened. He gives the comfort he knows Joe needs and he does it seamlessly._ _ _ _

____When Joe is ready, he tells him about the nightmare. He tells him about his fear and about his eyes, how empty they had looked, how cold and hard his body had been, how the blood had started to clot, how he wouldn’t wake up, how he had left Joe all alone and in so much pain. And Nicky apologises because that’s who he is, because he can’t bear to inflict pain on his Yusuf even in dreams. And that makes Joe smile, which makes it all better._ _ _ _

____Eventually, they go back to bed. They settle in in their usual position but as comfortable as Joe is, he cannot fall asleep. Because he’s scared of falling back into his nightmare or because he can’t seem to be able to stop looking at Nicky, gently kissing his neck, and holding on tight to him, he doesn’t know. The reason doesn’t really matter, all he knows is that they don’t fall asleep. At some point, Nicky ends up on top of him and they start tugging each other’s clothes off. Their bodies briefly separate before coming back to each other, both starving for comfort and touch._ _ _ _

____They make love. Nicky doesn’t let him look away the whole time and maintains a slow rhythm no matter how much Joe softly begs for more. He takes his time and loves him with his whole being and his whole soul. Only when Nicky is sure the nightmare has fully evaporated from Joe’s mind, leaving only them and love in their bed, does he heighten the pressure and give Joe what he wants, what he needs, what he’s been begging for like it is crucial to his survival._ _ _ _

____Even once their breathing has gone back to normal, Joe doesn’t let Nicky move away from him. They fall asleep, legs tangled, fingers linked, Nicky’s face buried in Joe’s neck._ _ _ _

____Eventually they’ll wake up and untangle themselves from one another, but their destinies are forever linked. After all, Nicky’s promised._ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Now my brain just can't stop thinking about the many awful awful ways I could hurt them both and I want to write them all so let me know if that's something you'd want! Kudos and comments are very much appreciated ❤️


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